A Bombay needs almost no grooming and a great deal of play. The coat is a single layer with no undercoat, so a 5-minute weekly rub keeps the lacquer shine, while the real work is holding an indoor cat at 6-11 lb (2.7-5 kg) and screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which travels through the Burmese and American Shorthair lines behind the breed. Build the year on three anchors: a monthly weigh-in, an echocardiogram at 12 months and every 12-18 months after that, and 15-20 minutes of chase play every day.
The year in four blocks
No single item on this calendar is urgent in a given week. What matters is that each one has a month attached, so it does not slide into next year.
| Months | Coat and teeth | Health screening | Weight and play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Mar | Weekly 5-minute rubber brush; nails every 3 weeks; toothbrush 4 times a week | Annual exam and vaccines; dental check; echo if due | Monthly weigh-in; two 15-minute sessions, since winter indoor cats move less |
| Apr-Jun | Add a damp chamois wipe; expect a heavier shed in May | Flea and tick prevention restarts; weekly ear check | Push play to 20 minutes; cut portions 10% if winter weight stayed on |
| Jul-Sep | Wipe the coat after balcony time; check ears in humid weeks | Watch breathing on hot days; keep rooms at 24-26 C | Weigh every 2 weeks; freeze wet food in 1-oz portions |
| Oct-Dec | Weekly brush, plus a look for dry flakes along the spine | Book the annual visit before the holiday rush; refill prescriptions | Monthly weigh-in; puzzle feeders when guests and extra food are around |
Coat, ears and teeth in 20 minutes a week
Five minutes with a rubber brush or a chamois cloth covers the whole body, and a damp chamois afterward lifts dust off black fur better than any spray. Do not scrub hard: the dense coat reflects light when the hairs lie straight, and a stiff brush roughs the surface. Bathe only when the cat is genuinely dirty, at most 2-3 times a year, because shampoo strips the oils that make the coat look wet. The stroke-by-stroke routine is in our brushing guide.
Ears get a weekly look and a wipe with a dry cotton pad in the visible folds; never push a swab into the canal. Teeth matter more than the coat here. Gingivitis is reported more often in Burmese-family cats, so start brushing at 4-5 months with a finger brush and cat toothpaste, 4-5 times a week if the cat tolerates it, and ask for a dental check at the annual exam.
Weight: four numbers worth writing down
An adult Bombay sits between 6 and 11 lb, with males usually at the top of that range and females at 6-8 lb. Weigh monthly on a baby scale at the same time of day and write the number down, because 0.3 lb a month is invisible by eye and becomes 3.6 lb in a year. Body condition score should be 5 out of 9: ribs easy to feel under a thin fat layer, a waist visible from above.
Three thresholds are worth acting on. Losing 5% of body weight in 30 days, which is 0.4 lb on an 8 lb cat, means a vet visit within a week. A sleeping respiratory rate above 30 breaths per minute means a call the same day. Gaining 1 lb over 3 months in an adult means cutting portions 10% and adding a play session, not switching to a "light" food and hoping. If the monthly number keeps climbing, work from a measured weight-loss plan.
HCM and the other inherited risks
HCM is the one to plan around. Most cardiologists screen breeding cats with an echo at 12 months, repeat at 18-24 months, then every 12-18 months to age 8, and annually after that. A pet cat with no pedigree papers should still get a baseline echo at 1-2 years. Ask breeders for the parents' echo dates and results, not the word "clear". A murmur at grade 3 of 6 or louder, or a gallop rhythm, earns a referral rather than a recheck in six months.
The Burmese head defect is a lethal recessive: affected kittens are born with a craniofacial deformity and do not survive, so there is no carrier test and no adult cat to examine. The only practical safeguard is the breeder's litter history. Unexplained newborn deaths in a line, or a refusal to discuss them, is reason to walk away.
Obesity and diabetes are the acquired risks. A food-motivated indoor Bombay that stops jumping onto counters is not calming down; it is often 2 lb overweight. Diabetes shows as drinking more, larger urine clumps, and appetite with weight loss. Any of those three means a vet visit within 48 hours, not a wait-and-see week.
Feeding and play, by season
An adult eats roughly 1/2 to 2/3 cup of dry food a day, or 5-6 oz of wet, split into 2 meals. Weigh the portion once, then keep that scoop forever. Put play before food: 10 minutes of chase, then the bowl, mimics a hunt and takes the edge off the 3 a.m. sprint. A second cat or a settled dog is often the cheapest enrichment, because this breed dislikes an empty house.
Summer needs water management more than diet changes: 3-4 bowls, one of them wide and shallow, refreshed twice a day. Our water intake guide covers how much a cat on wet food needs. Winter is when portions need watching, because activity drops and the cat sleeps more.
Five habits that cost the most
- Free-feeding dry food because the cat is still slim at 2 years old. Most Bombays start gaining from age 3.
- Bathing monthly to keep the coat shiny, which strips oils and leaves it duller.
- Skipping the echo because the cat seems fine. HCM is silent until it is not.
- Brushing hard with a slicker, which scratches the coat surface and the skin under it.
- Reading a quiet, withdrawn cat as shy when it can be early heart failure or dental pain.
When to stop waiting
Same-day care for open-mouth breathing, a sleeping rate over 30, sudden hind-leg weakness or paralysis (a clot thrown by HCM), 24 hours without food, or gums that are red where they meet the tooth. Within a week for a 5% weight loss, a newly heard murmur, urine clumps that double in size, or a cat that stops using a high shelf it used to reach.
Frequently asked
How often does a Bombay actually need a bath?
Two to three times a year at most, and only when the cat is genuinely dirty or has something stuck in the coat. The single short coat has no undercoat to trap oil, and shampoo strips the natural oils that give it the wet, lacquered look owners want. Spot-clean with a damp chamois instead.
At what age should a Bombay have its first heart ultrasound?
Twelve months is the common starting point, repeated at 18 to 24 months and then every 12 to 18 months through age 8, with annual scans afterward. A cat with no pedigree information should still get one baseline echo between 1 and 2 years, since HCM can be silent for years.
Is 11 lb too heavy for an adult Bombay?
Not automatically. The breed range runs 6 to 11 lb, and a large male at 11 lb with a visible waist and ribs you can feel is fine. Judge by body condition score, 5 out of 9, rather than the scale alone, and act if weight climbs 1 lb in 3 months.